1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to apparatus and methods for enhancing public safety and, more particularly, to interactive citizen call station technology operating to provide improved communication about emergencies and situations of public concern, improved communication between citizens and civil authorities such as municipal governments, and enhanced responses by public safety and response units to such concerns.
2. Background of the Invention and Description of the Prior Art
Communication systems and devices for summoning aid to persons in need of assistance in emergency situations have long been available. Fire alarms, police call boxes, and telephone systems are well known examples of traditional systems and procedures. In recent years the establishment of the “911” universal number in the United States for requesting emergency services has proven to be an effective way to request emergency services and assistance. The 911 service provides direct access to a wide variety of specific services through voice contact with a dispatcher who facilitates the selection of the needed service or assistance. With the widespread use of cellular telephones, the 911 system has enabled much improved access to services because of the mobility of the telephones. Cellular telephone users on or very near the scene of an emergency situation enable a link to be quickly established with public safety and other potential responding services.
One weakness of the foregoing system is that a caller must engage in a dialogue with the dispatcher before a decision can be made to select the appropriate agency. In the event of high background noise, impairment of speech, communications interference, a lack of time to explain details of a situation, or the lack of emergency calling devices in public transportation vehicles, such dialogue may be impossible or seriously impaired, preventing the prompt and appropriate response to an incident. The problem is particularly acute in public transportation vehicles, which typically lack any kind of communication equipment useable by passengers, yet are often exposed to, or are the site of, emergency situations, particularly in large metropolitan areas.
Present communication and emergency alert systems also tend to be limited in capability, either as to information capacity or because they are designed for a specific type of emergency. Further, most such systems allow communication only in one direction, to an agency associated with the particular kind of incident. An example is a fire alarm, typically a small box mounted on a wall or post that permits an alert to be sent by a witness to a fire.
Another deficiency of presently available systems is the lack of efficient and user-friendly systems for communicating information from civil authorities and their various agencies to citizens, particularly when location-specific information must be made known quickly and clearly in case of emergencies. Yet another deficiency of presently available systems is that much information of interest to consumers is primarily limited to radio or TV or computer network media, broadcast media, print media, billboards, etc. Moreover, there is little availability of agency-to-citizen communication that is targeted to specific citizen locations yet also widely available.
In the prior art, various attempts have been made to provide devices for alerting emergency service providers of the need for their services, or for providing communication during emergency situations.
For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0137754, Bartlett, discloses “targets on a touch panel overlay” on a transit stop display panel for implementing buttons to select a transit vehicle from the transit stop so that a transit vehicle operator knows a patron is waiting, etc. Also disclosed is a pushbutton to initiate emergency calls. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0151639, Bulmer, discloses a broadcast system for alerting the public of an emergency or criminal situation that includes the ability for the public to provide tips via telephone or e-mail hotline from the vicinity of the incident. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0190061, Trela, discloses a wireless, Internet-based intelligence sharing system for distributing information pertinent to homeland security to transportation terminals, for monitoring human behaviors at such terminals, and for reporting potential terrorist activities or other threats to homeland peace. Also disclosed is an “e-911 calling wand” enabling a one-button 911 call or terrorist report after removing the wand from a housing. The wand may include “touch pad” controls for requesting a function.
In other examples, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0212677, Byrne et al., discloses an alarm and communication system for a building that enables first responders to know the location of occupants needing assistance. A user interface with a touch screen display enables occupants to navigate through screens to engage voice evacuation functions and floor plans to identify escape routes from the building. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0242944, Bankert et al., discloses a security alert system for a building that connects remote stations in the building with a central control and monitor station that communicates public emergency warnings to the remote stations. The remote stations include a display, e.g, LCD, for receiving messages, and a user interface having a plurality of input keys, e.g., touch sensitive portions of the display, for two-way communication. A beacon unit associated with each remote station or building and controlled from either a remote station or central control provides a guide signal to locate an area of interest.
What is needed is a communication or call station type of system that can be installed in readily accessible public locations or passenger vehicles of public transportation systems, such as buses and trains. Such a system must enable fast reporting of an emergency incident coupled with a request for appropriate assistance without the necessity of a dialogue with a dispatcher. Such a system should be able to provide safety-related information about the location of the call station to appropriate agencies as well as providing instruction about the presence of a safety matter to the call station location for use by persons present there. Moreover, such a system, for maximum utility, must enable two-way communication to permit the exchange of safety information and to provide for the communication of useful consumer and commercial information when needed.